Lawmakers and Advocates Rally Against Teacher Layoffs

Washington, May 4, 2010 — -- Joelle Beck is one of roughly 17,000 teachers in the state of Illinois to be laid off before the next school year begins. Due to a $1.5 million deficit in her district, she and 25 other teachers will not be going back to class in the fall.

Beck's story is increasingly common. With more than a quarter of a million teachers across the country facing layoffs, the educational future of American students is increasingly uncertain.

"Our students will be struggling to keep their heads above water in classrooms of 30-plus students while one teacher attempts to meet the individual needs of each student and help them learn to their fullest potential," Beck said at a Capitol Hill press conference today. "A message is conveyed to our students that their education holds little value in the eyes of our government and that their future and their success is meaningless."

Teachers like Beck joined congressmen and teacher advocates today to support federal legislation to prevent the massive cuts.

"We can't shortchange kids and their education just as we're making inroads on genuine schools reforms that will transform public schools. The federal government didn't walk away from Wall Street, and it shouldn't walk away from our kids' public schools. Education should be considered too big to fail," said Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers.

Weingarten joined Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa; Rep. George Miller, D-California; and Dennis Van Roekel, president of the National Education Association in announcing the "Pink Hearts, Not Pink Slips" campaign to draw attention to the impending layoffs and rally support to avert the cuts. Harkin, chairman of the appropriations subcommittee on education, has proposed legislation, the "Keep Our Educators Working Act," which would create a $23 billion education jobs fund to help states retain and hire teachers and other school staff members.

"This country is about to face a massive wave of layoffs in our schools and institutions of higher learning that could weaken our economic recovery and cause serious damage to our education system," Harkin said. "This bill is an investment in our kids, in our economy and in our future."